Why should I keep Outlook open at all times?

by The Tipster • May 6, 2013 • Comments Off on Why should I keep Outlook open at all times?

From time to time I get asked by users Why should I keep Outlook open all the time?

As someone who uses Outlook for mail, calendar and tasks, this question is a bit of a reality check for me. I am stunned to find office workers who don’t keep Outlook open whilst they are logged in to their company network.

The most common reason why users close Outlook is because they want to work on something else, and they think they have to close Outlook to do this.

So, the first thing I check is whether a user knows how to ‘minimise’ a program. Minimising, keeps the program open but shrinks it down to the Task Bar where it quietly sits in the background until you restore it.

Minimise Outlook

MinimiseOutlook by clicking once on the Minimise tool button to shrink it down into a button displayed in your Task Bar.

Minimised Outlook

Minimised programs are displayed in the Task Bar. Minimised programs are still ‘open’ and continue to work. Outlook continues to check for mail, prompt you of any reminders, but it isn’t displayed on screen – allowing you to get with other things.

Restore Outlook

When you want to work with Outlook again, for example you want to check your mail, just click on the Outlook icon in the Task Bar.